http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news.shtml News from USC Davis School of Gerontology en-us Copyright 2007, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Fri May 19 13:32:38 2006 Tue Jul 23 11:50:10 2007 Blending art, poems and collages, the daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient depicts the ordeal of her mother and others at a USC Davis School sponsored art exhibit. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/14062.html In his new book, USC professor Caleb Finch covers the link between inflammation and the evolution of the human lifespan. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/14047.html Aaron Hagedorn and Gretchen Alkema given USC Order of Arete Awards for service to the University through teaching and improving the learning environment of the campus. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0717.shtml Bob Knight, USC’s Merle H. Bensinger Professor of Gerontology and Psychology, will receive the Retirement Research Fund Distinguished Contribution Award in Applied Gerontology from the American Psychology Association’s Division 20. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/14028.html Mexican-Americans born and raised in the United States are more likely to suffer from conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol than those who emigrate from Mexico. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/14025.html Dr. Crimmins’ study reveals Hispanics born and raised in the United States may be in poorer health than new immigrants — with higher rates of diabetes and high cholesterol. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19698973/from/ET/ USC Davis School Professor Caleb "Tuck" Finch’s new book, The Biology of Human Longevity: Inflammation, Nutrition, and Aging in the Evolution of Lifespans, synthesizes 10 years of research, defining new connections among inflammation, nutrition, and the diseases that come with advanced age. http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070706/6finch_print.htm Jon Pynoos of the USC Davis School was quoted in an article about caring for elderly parents. The parent’s home may need to be remodeled, the story noted. Most of the housing we live in today is Peter Pan housing: It’s designed for people who are never going to grow up and never grow old, Pynoos said.” http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/eldercare/2007-06-28-elder-care-planning_N.htm?csp=34 Seminar at Davis School discusses reducing risk for dementia through exercise and vascular health http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0614.shtml ABC News featured software designed by USC Davis School Professor Albert “Skip” Rizzo last night on a national report. Dr. Rizzo designed a virtual reality program that helps Iraq war veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=3255345&page=2 The Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center holds retreat for Chinese-American caregivers http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0604.shtml Last week, The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) announced the conception of the David A. Peterson Award. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0524.shtml Sean Sachdev, class of 2007, is on his way to Stanford Medical School after completing the Health Science Track in Gerontology. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0517.shtml USC Davis School Professor John Walsh coauthors a study on Parkinson's disease indicating treadmill exercises may benefit patients with Parkinson's disease and those with similar movement disorders. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13873.html Dean Emeritus James Birren, a prolific medical author known as the father of gerontology, quoted in a recent Los Angeles Times piece on whether John McCain’s age would have an effect on his presidential candidacy. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mccain17may17,1,6974819,print.story?coll=la-headlines-nation For Gretchen Alkema, recipient of a Ph.D. in gerontology, the USC Davis School commencement ceremony at the Andrus Gerontology Center on May 11, 2007 was one of the most memorable days of her life. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0419.shtml Faculty from across campus discuss gerontological issues at the USC Davis School Leadership Retreat. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0502.shtml USC professors Caleb Finch and Xianghong Zhou discuss advantages of their online database. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13777.html Video available online at abcnews.com http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Video/videoEmbed?id=3062548&challenge=&authenticated=true&start=YmV6YWl0aXNAdXNjLmVkdQ==&end=YXRoYW5hc2lvcw==&save=ON&save=OFF Office will aid faculty in finding grants and funding opportunities in nation's capital http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0418b.shtml Mary Brophy Marcus, in a special report for USA Today, discuss the significant increase in fall related injuries to seniors. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-04-22-senior-brain-injury_N.htm?csp=34 USC’s John Tower, associate professor of molecular and computational biology, discusses the effects of aging on a cellular level. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0411.shtml Dr. Robert Penny discusses the American obesity epidemic at the USC Davis School. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0406.shtml Visitors from the Chinese government’s chief division on aging policy review significant issues facing their country’s elders. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13603.html Fall prevention, community-based programs and male caregivers are among the key issues. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/news/2007/news0319.shtml President Sample calls the renowned psychologist and longtime administrator the ideal candidate for the post. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0228.shtml The USC gerontology professor targets possible threats to human life expectancy – obesity, pollution and new infections. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/news/2007/news0227.shtml Caregiving expert Shawn Herz charts strategies for service and support of people living with dementia. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0227b.html Keynote speakers address genetics research and patients, families share stories of living with dementia diseases. http://media.www.dailytrojan.com/media/storage/paper679/news/2007/02/26/News/Researchers.Discuss.Treatment.At.Alzheimers.Conference-2741472.shtml On behalf of USC President Steven B. Sample, Provost C. L. Max Nikias has announced the establishment of the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute for Applied Gerontology. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13455.html Kate Wilber, professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School, is featured in an LA Times Health Section article on healthcare spending priorities. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0212.shtml At Trestles Beach, a chaparral-covered surfer’s haven just south of San Clemente, the locals call John Walsh “the surfing professor.” In that world of sweet swells and hanging loose, he is 51 years-young, still rides a short-board and monitors the daily tides as a priest does Holy Scripture. Just ask him about his favorite pastime and watch as his face creases into a lippy smile and his blue eyes brighten. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0212.shtml According to a new book by USC demographer Dowell Myers entitled Immigrants and Boomers, the golden years of America’s 78 million baby boomers will shine only as brightly as do the fortunes of the country’s changing immigrant population. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13379.html Housed at USC’s Andrus Gerontology Center, the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence is to become a principle developer of California’s fall prevention infrastructure with the announcement of a $600,000 grant from the Archstone Foundation. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0129.shtml Daphna Gans, who overcame months of immobility before giving birth to her second child and who also served as a sergeant in the Israeli Air Force before moving to the United States for graduate school, was the recipient of the annual 2006 USC Women in Management (WIM) Scholarship. The award, which was presented to Gans on Tuesday, January ninth at Town and Gown, is given each year to a woman graduate student over 35 years old, who has overcome obstacles and demonstrated strong leadership ability throughout her academic and professional career. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0119.shtml It is predicted that by the year 2020, the number of people age 65 and over will make up the most substantial portion of the American population. For medical students, this means that unless they pursue pediatrics or obstetrics, they will be geriatricians by default, no matter which field of medicine they end up in. This “graying” of American society creates the need to foster communication between older adults and young doctors-to-be, especially those who have had limited exposure to energetic, dynamic elders, a group that will hopefully be well-represented in the future. No place is this interaction more important than at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, which this week welcomed six first-year medical students for a visit with the Andrus Center Volunteers. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0111.shtml USC gerontologist and molecular biologist honored for pioneering work on oxygen’s harmful effects. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13189.html Research by Professor Merril Silverstein of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Daphna Gans, a doctoral student, was highlighted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Their study, which was published in last month’s Journal of Marriage and Family, found that baby boomers are more committed to caring for their aging parents than their own parents were. http://www.startribune.com/1244/story/898593.html The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) has selected the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology’s Phoebe Liebig to be the 14th recipient of the Mildred M. Seltzer Distinguished Service Recognition award. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2007/news0104.shtml USC was recently ranked the eighth most wired school by PC Magazine. As part of the campus-wide Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and Distance Learning (DL) initiatives, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has added a state-of-the-art capture room and has undergone structural enhancements to the Davis Auditorium. The renovations provide top-of-the-line equipment that will bolster the School’s pioneering online master's program and enrich the learning environment for students and instructors alike. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13203.html Leonard Davis Research Associate Professor Todd E. Morgan is featured in Washington Post Article on the benefits of the caloric restriction diet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/08/AR2006120800874.html Leonard Davis School Ph.d. student Daphna Gans was featured in a recent article from the Beaver County Times and Alleghany Times on baby boomers. Gans was lead author on a study, which found that baby boomers are more likely to care for their aging parents than previous generations. http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17575478&BRD=2305&PAG=461&de Gerald C. Davison, the dean designate of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, presented a lecture last week entitled, “Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations: A Think-Aloud Paradigm for the Assessment of Cognition and Emotion,” at the Andrus Gerontology Center. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news29.shtml On December 5, Leonard Davis Dean Emeritus Dr. Edward Schneider appeared on the KTLA 5 Morning Show for an interview, "How to Care for Your Aging Parents and Grandparents." Dr. Schneider stressed the importance of beginning talks with aging relatives early and discussed the important aspects of their end of life issues. To access the video, choose the "Features" Link and scroll down to "Dr. Ed Schneider: How to Care for Your Aging Parents and Grandparents." http://ktla.trb.com/news/local/video/?track=nav Two workshops at USC offer advice for family caregivers striving to ease the holiday blues. “Holidays can be stressful and chaotic for anyone, and even more so for the family caregiver,” said Shawn Herz, director of program development at the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center, who spoke at the workshops. “Whether caring for an elderly or impaired relative, spouse or friend, providing care from home, nearby or miles away, caregivers face many unique challenges.” http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13150.html Gentrification is just wiping out the affordable housing stock in many areas and making it impossible for many, who are not homeowners, to age in place," says John Pynoos, a professor at USC's Andrus Gerontology Center and the author of several books on challenges we all will face as we grow older. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez26nov26,0,1782146.column?page=1&coll=la-home-local Young gerontology students move in with elders at the Kingsley Manor Care Center, where they strive to help. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12832.html Valter Longo came to the United States at age 16 from Genoa, Italy hoping to be a rock star. Luckily for the field of aging, fate led him down a different career path. Longo’s destiny changed at the renowned University of North Texas College of Music when the jazz performance major was asked to be the school’s bandleader. Whether it was the Mean Green marching outfit or too much gesturing – even for an Italian – he refused, knowing it could cost him his ‘rock reputation.’ After a few days of introspection, he decided to switch fields into a subject on the other side of the academic universe: biochemistry. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news28.shtml The theme of this year’s Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual convention was Education & the Gerontological Imagination, so it was fitting that USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology made a strong showing November 16-20 at the Adams Mark Hotel in Dallas, Texas. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news27.shtml Gerontology is the study of aging and older people. For the past hundred years, scientists have quarreled about whether or not gerontology is its own unique discipline or a subset of more traditional academic fields. In this month’s issue of the journal The Gerontologist, two USC researchers attempt to put the debate to rest by arguing that gerontology is in fact its own discipline backed by established academic theories and accepted research models that allow the field to stand on its own. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news26.shtml “The use of essential oils as an alternative or supplemental medical treatment is one of the fastest growing modalities in the country because people are tired of drugs,” said Linda Chollar, a holistic health practitioner who spoke recently to a group of about 25 people made up of faculty, staff and community members at the USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center. Ms. Chollar was on hand to discuss the benefits of aromatherapy for adult caregivers. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news25.shtml Scientists have moved away from plaque and tangles in the brain toward developing better treatments for the disease. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-critzer5nov05,1,4825948.story On Thursday, November 2, 2006, the USC Andrus Gerontology Center welcomed world renowned physician and researcher David Barker to discuss the developmental origins of aging. The presentation was part of the 2006 Esther and Isadore Kesten Memorial Lectureship, an annual event in which a speaker hand-picked by gerontology faculty presents on a relevant issue in aging. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news24.shtml Adults demonstrate commitment toward parental caregiving, new study says, in spite of a historical decline in attitudes toward such care. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12938.html The Student Gerontology Association (SGA) has announced four new officers to serve as cabinet members for the 2007 spring and fall semesters. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news23.shtml Kelvin J.A. Davies has been appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news22.shtml People living below the poverty line are more likely to have very high levels of C-reactive protein, a new study has found. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/health/03poor.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print Elders in rural China care for grandchildren after the parents migrate to urban centers. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12810.html In an announcement made yesterday evening by Provost C.L. Max Nikias on behalf of President Steven B. Sample, Gerald C. Davison was named the new dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Dean Davison currently serves as interim dean of the USC School of Architecture, and as chair of the department of psychology in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where he is a professor. He will be the holder of the William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news21.shtml On Monday, September 25, 2006, the School of Social Work hosted a group of nine officials from the China National Committee on Aging. Its representatives are amongst the most powerful government figures with respect to aging in China. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news20.shtml Friends and family salute Doris T. Westcott, the woman who once represented USC at its most important events http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12724.html Findings may help explain why the poor age faster, say USC and UCLA researchers http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news19.shtml Older women are more at risk for heart disease than men and worse off than they were 10 years ago, researchers say http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12720.html Jon Pynoos, a longtime supporter of California artists, will work as a council member for the newly renovated museum http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12715.html USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology professor of neurobiology Caleb Finch Ph.D. and USC Leonard Davis School appointee Margaret Gatz, Ph.D. are featured in front-page New York Times story on genetics and longevity. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/health/31age.html?hp&ex=1157083200&en=9198431085b8eb21&ei=5094&partner=homepage Amid soft music and the sound of splashing waves, caregivers take a serene walk toward a stress-free life at Gerontology Center. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12682.html The AARP founder and namesake of the university's Gerontology Center is recognized for her pioneering achievements as an administrator in Lincoln Heights. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12666.html USC College and USC Leonard Davis School appointee Margaret Gatz, Ph.D. is featured in a recent article from the Orlando Sentinel on reducing the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease through cognitive exercises. http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/health/15259323.htm Eileen Crimmins, Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, was featured in a recent New York Times article on obesity levels and lifespan in the United States. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news18.shtml The USC College psychiatrist, an expert in dementia, is recognized for her leadership and service in gerontology. http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/12608.html As part of the campus-wide Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and Distance Learning (DL) initiatives, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology is adding a state-of-the-art capture room and undergoing structural enhancements to the Davis Auditorium. The renovations will provide top-of-the-line equipment that will bolster the School’s pioneering online Masters Program and enrich the learning environment for students and instructors alike. Both facilities will be operational by the start of the fall 2006 semester. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news17.shtml Nancy Makay is a universal design consultant. Her customers are people who require home modifications in order to accommodate special living needs. Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, she started her company, Live with Ease: Universal Design Consulting, shortly after completing the online Executive Certificate program from the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center in 2003. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news16.shtml A new national research report authored by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Professor Kathleen H. Wilber and gerontology student Patricia A. Halliwell analyzes the economic life Latino elders will face in retirement http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news15.shtml USC gerontology students have been recognized for their academic achievement and commitment to promoting scholarship, professionalism, friendship and services to the elderly http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news14.shtml Open enrollment continues for noninvasive approach to improving memory and auditory processing among seniors http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news13.shtml USC gerontology professor Edward L. Schneider writes a new book offering unbiased reports on alternative therapies ranging from red clover to glucosamine. Allison Engel http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news12.shtml Debra Sheets, Ph.D., class of 1999 and Carl Renold, Ph.D., class of 1995, both received tenure from California State University, Northridge and California State University, Fullerton respectively this May. Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news11.shtml “Do wrinkles hurt? Does someone have to feed you? Why do old people smell funny? You’d be surprised at some of the things young people ask,” said Evelyn Washington, 72, a USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center Volunteer, who has been visiting fourth through 12th grade classrooms throughout Los Angeles for four years.  Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news10.shtml The Princeton Review is looking for SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT teachers. They need energetic, motivated people who have scored, or think they can score, in the 95% or above on the standardized test they want to teach. http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/jobs/index.shtml#princeton A conference on how to improve outreach strategies and assessment methods to a diverse population affected by dementia was held last Friday, May 19th in the USC Davis School auditorium.  Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news9.shtml Doris Westcott, a legendary and beloved University of Southern California alumna, passed away on May 16, 2006. Ms. Westcott graduated from USC in 1930 and had the distinction of representing the school at important social functions as the university’s first (1929) and second (1930) Helen of Troy.  Philip Kline http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news8.shtml Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center bring top researchers together to focus on cancer prevention. Orli Belman http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news.shtml#symposium Dr. Phoebe Liebig never intended to be an “expert” on Indian gerontology, but after returning from a five week trip this spring for her second Fulbright Award in which she provided technical assistance and conducted research there, she accepts the role by default. Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news7.shtml Dr. James Birren, the founding dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, will be returning to campus this summer to offer a course on autobiography writing... Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news6.shtml When Dr. Chris Kelly was in grad school, spewing sports statistics and grinding out long hours, he left an indelible impression on his instructors at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.  Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news5.shtml “In the next twenty to twenty-five years, people will start to live into their hundreds and beyond with far more frequency,” said Dr. Benton, in her presentation Aging Parents 101: The ABC’s of Aging, held at USC’s Andrus Gerontology Center Auditorium on Thursday, April 14, 2006.  Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news4.shtml On Thursday, April 6, at the University of Southern California’s Hamovitch Research Center, The California Social Welfare Archives presented a synopsis of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA). Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news3.shtml When Dawn Alley was a young girl in Battle Ground, Indiana, a town with only two stoplights outside of nearby West Lafayette, she was bored in school. Classes were too easy for the eleven-year old wunderkind. After school, she would go to the nearby county nursing home where her grandmother was the manager, and spend time with the residents, who were mostly low-income. There she participated in group activities and, most importantly, got to know the people. The experience instilled a sense of respect for her elders and was a portent of things to come.  Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news2.shtml From March 16th through the 19th, at the Hilton and Marriott Hotels in Anaheim, CA, over ten delegates from USC attended the ASA/NCOA Conference. Entitled Invest in Aging: Strengthening Families, Communities and Ourselves, the event brought together professionals in the field of aging to share ideas on local, statewide and national levels. Athan Bezaitis http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news1.shtml